New football coach hired for Caroline High School

Antron Yates, 35, was hired Feb. 10 as the new head football coach at Caroline High School.

He was hired during a regular meeting of the Caroline County School Board.

Yates is currently the head football coach at Washington and Lee High School in Montross where the Eagles have gone to the playoffs for the past two consecutive years.

He played football at Bridgewater College and during his senior year, his team played in the Division 3 national championship game.

Yates, along with the Essex High coach, John Fulks, was named Conference 43 Coach of the Year during the most reason season.

“We put in the work to make sure we got someone who is a good fit,” said CHS Athletic Director Paul Heizer.

Eight past and present head coaches applied for the job that former CHS head football coach Jeremiah Ross vacated in December. Some applicants were from outside of Virginia—as far away as Mississippi and Georgia, along with North Carolina.

“We double-checked and triple-checked references,” Heizer said. “We had some great applicants.”

Yates cares enough about each individual player so that “if a kid is misbehaving in school, he’ll go in the class and see what he’s doing wrong,” Heizer said. Yates was also appealing as a candidate because of his stability. He’s lived in King George for the past eight years.

“He’s coached at good programs,” Heizer said. Yates has been coach at C.D. Hylton High School and Freedom High School, both in Woodbridge, and King George High. “He’s been a head coach, offensive coordinator at one school and defensive coordinator at another.”

“I’m truly blessed to come into a situation like this (at CHS) where football is so big,” said Yates, who has visited CHS and spent hours talking to Heizer.

“The three words that describe me as a coach are: firm, fair and consistent,” Yates said. “I also bring discipline. I manage games well. I’ll put my players in good positions to win football games.

“When a new coach comes in, it’s a matter of the players buying into the system,” Yates said. “We can be very successful if the players buy into what I’m doing. We can be successful early. Normally it takes three years to get where you want to be. I’ve been looking at some of the talent there at Caroline High.

“I’m not there just to win games, but I’m there also to develop a program,” Yates said. “I’ve tried to do as much research as possible (on the CHS football program). I know that we’ll be bringing back a good quarterback, two receivers and a running back.”

Yates has watched the video highlights of games at www.huddle.com. “I’m very pleased with what I’ve seen. I’m excited about getting in there and working with them. I’m happy and very pleased with everything. The school administration is welcoming me with open arms.”

When he coached King George High, his team played the CHS Cavaliers, as well as Spotsylvania High.

Yates is a 2003 graduate of Bridgewater College, where he received a bachelor’s degree in computer information systems. He has taught business classes. He has a master of education degree in supervision and administration from the University of Phoenix.